White fungus with quail eggs soup

The 3 year old in my house loves this soup. She calls the white fungus “jelly fish” and the quail eggs “baby eggs”. She can finish a whole bowl of the soup.

Cloud ears or white fungus is a type of fungi quite similar to wood ear fungus but are more delicate in texture and lighter in color and is sometimes called snow fungus. It is composed of many tightly clustered florets that are white in colour tinged with a pale shade of yellow. The florets of the fungus have a firm jelly-like texture and branch out from the hard yellow centre at the core of the fungus. It has very little flavour and tends to absorb the flavour of whatever it’s cooked with. It is commonly used in soups, porridge for children, Chinese style desserts or vegetarian stir fries. White fungus is commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to moisten and clear the lungs, nourish the body, heal dry coughs, and keeps the skin young. Some research shows that white fungus can lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels and help to relieve exhaustion and fatigue.

When buying good quality white fungus, look out for ones that have a yellow tinge in colour. Fungus that is purely white would indicate that the fungus underwent bleaching and may be contaminated by chemicals. Secondly, look out for the tightness of florets. The more tightly packed the florets of the fungus are, the higher the quality of the fungus. If the florets are big and loose the fungus will become mushy instead of crunchy.

 Ingredients

White fungus (not too much as it will increase in size and quantity after soaking)

Quail eggs

Spring onion for garnishing (optional)

 Hard boil the eggs

Remove the egg shells and rinse

Soak in cold water for at least half an hour.

Make sure it is submerged completely.

The fungus will increase in size and turn from its opaque pale yellowish-white colour to a translucent tone.

Trim away the hard bottom and tear the florets into smaller pieces

Put the fungus and eggs into the prepared stock.

Add salt and pepper.

Simmer on low heat for ½ an hour and it is ready